North Carolina SB 619: Protect Our Military Installations Act.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2021
S 1
SENATE BILL 619

Short Title: Protect Our Military Installations Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Davis, Perry, and Steinburg (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
April 7, 2021
*S619-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO GIVE PREFERENCE TO APPLICATIONS FOR STATE GRANTS IF THE 2
GRANT WILL DIRECTLY BENEFIT TIER ONE OR TIER TWO COUNTIES THAT 3
ALSO HAVE MILITARY INSTALLATIONS LOCATED IN THAT COUNTY. 4
Whereas, North Carolina has a proud tradition of mutually beneficial cooperation 5
with the military; and 6
Whereas, North Carolina has the fourth-largest population of military personnel of 7
any state; and 8
Whereas, the military accounts for over a half million jobs, $66 billion in gross State 9
product, and represents 10% of the overall economy of this State; and 10
Whereas, North Carolina is home to many military installations; and 11
Whereas, some of those installations may be vulnerable to closure as part of the 12
federal Base Realignment and Closure initiative; and 13
Whereas, a failure to adequately strengthen and protect the military in this State would 14
make military installations in the State vulnerable to closure under the federal Base Realignment 15
and Closure initiative; and 16
Whereas, a strong economy benefits both the military installations in this State and 17
the communities that surround and support those installations; and 18
Whereas, the people of this State recognize the interdependence of the military and 19
the communities that surround and support its operations; and 20
Whereas, it is in the best interest of the State to support the economic growth of the 21
communities that surround and support our military installations; and 22
Whereas, the economic growth and success of one community in this State benefits 23
us all; and 24
Whereas, this State has developed strategies to foster economic growth in targeted 25
areas by categorizing those areas within distinct zones; and 26
Whereas, the use of economic prosperity zones has strengthened and bolstered the 27
communities of our State to the benefit of all of its citizens; and 28
Whereas, this State must use its resources to determine similar ways to strengthen and 29
bolster the economic growth of the communities that surround and support our military 30
installations; and 31
Whereas, strong, supporting communities are invaluable to the military institutions in 32
our State and benefit the military as a whole and its continuing operations throughout the nation; 33
Now, therefore, 34
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 35
SECTION 1. G.S. 143B-10 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2021
Page 2 Senate Bill 619-First Edition
"(k) Grants; Preference for Counties Hosting Military Installations. – The head of each 1
principal State department shall give additional scoring weight or preference to any applicant for 2
a grant administered or given by that department if all of the following apply: 3
(1) The grant would directly benefit the communities located in a county that is a 4
development tier one county or a development tier two county as determined 5
by G.S. 143B-437.08. 6
(2) One of the following military installations is located in whole or in part in the 7
county identified in subdivision (1) of this subsection: 8
a. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. 9
b. Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. 10
c. United States Army Fort Bragg. 11
d. Marine Corps Air Station New River. 12
e. Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. 13
f. United States Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City. 14
g. Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point." 15
SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law. 16